Shoe and foot length comparator



March 23, 1954 J. N. CRANDALL ET AL 2,672,688

' SHOE AND FOOT LENGTH COMPARATOR Filed Jan. 5, 1952 INVENTORS JOHN N.CRANDALL GLENN A. RICHARDE-r Patented Mar. 23, 1954 2,672,688 l A SHOEAND FOOT LENGTH COMPARATOR John N. Crandall, St. Louis, and Glenn A.

Richardet, St. Louis Brown Shoe Compa County, Mo., assignors to ny,Inc., St. Louis, M0., a corporation of New York Application January 5,1952, Serial No. 265,096

3 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for determining shoe length which willprovide a proper lit, and is particularly concerned with devices forvisually comparing shoe length with foot length.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeasily operated device by which shoe length may be visually comparedwith foot length.

It is an object also to provide a visual shoe sise determining devicewhich is direct reading and capable of being placed in a shoe so thatshoe size and length may be determined without placing the foot in theshoe, thereby avoiding the unsanitary shoe try-on method.

`The invention herein preferred consists in a frame constructed of anysuitable material, heel stops on the frame in spaced relation, one forcooperation with a shoe to be measured and the other for cooperatin withthe foot Which is to be compared to shoe length, and a slide memberwhich is movable on the frame in such a manner as simultaneously toindicate the shoe size in cooperation with one of the heel stops duringactual shoe length measuring cooperation with the other heel stop.

The invention furthermore consists in the parts and elements, and in thecombination of parts and cooperation thereof as will hereinafter be moreparticularly described when considered with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the 'preferred shoe length to foot lengthcomparing device adjusted for determining the length of a shoe, the shoebeing shown in broken outline; K

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the present device shown in position forcomparing foot length with shoe length, a foot being disposed on thedevice as shown in broken outline;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of thepresent device showing detailsof its construction;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken at line 4 4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken at line 5 5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of one end portion of the presentdevice seen at line 6 6 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view at line T 'I in Fig. 6.

The present device for comparing shoe length with foot length consistsin a frame I0 formed oi any suitable material such as metal. The framemay be one piece, as shown, shaped to provide a heel stop II, anadjacent foot receiving portion of linear aspect I2, a curved or angledportion I3, and a shoe length measuring portion I I of linear aspecttogether with a heel stop I5. This frame IIJ is provided with the curvedportion I3 so that the shoe length measuring portion I4 can be arrangedat an angular relationship with the foot receiving linear portion I2 toavoid interference in inserting the portion I4 (Fig. l) in a shoeindicated in broken outline at S.

`The frame Il) carries or is provided with a slide member Il formed of asuitable ilexible material such as spring steel. The slide I'I ismovable along a race of the frame I 0 between the foot receiving portionI2 and the shoe length measuring portion It. Due to the curved portionI3 of frame I Il, it is desirable to have the slide formed of flexiblematerial so that the slide can be made to traverse the curved portion.

The slide I'I is provided with a guide I3 fixed at the looped or rebentportion I9 adjacent the shoe length measuring portion I4 of the frame,and a guide 20 is also carried intermediately of the frame portion I3.The guide I8 is suitably clamped or iXecl in the loop I9 of the frame aswill be understood upon inspection of Figs. 1, 6 and 7. The guide 20 issecured to the frame curved portion I3 by means of a rivet 2| shown inFigs. l and 5.

A slide manipulating handle 23 is shown in Figs. l, 3 and 4. The handle23 is adapted to secure a guide 24 to the end portion 22 of slide II sothat the handle 23 and associated guide 24 move with the slide I'I alongthe linear portion I2 of frame IIJ. It is noted that guide 24 isarranged in a reverse manner to the previously clescribed guides I 9 and20. This arrangement of guides prevents the slide I 1 from beingdisplaced from its intended cooperating association with the frame I0.

With reference to Fig. l, the present device is shown with the slide I'Imoved to a position (full line) in which the end portion 25 thereoi isretracted into the guide It, thus producing the shoe measuring portionill to its minimum length. At the same time, the slide portion 22 in theguide 2li is located at a, minimum spacing from the heel stop II. Thedistance between the end 22 of the slide I1 in the guide 24 and the heelstop II is substantially the same as the minimum length of the shoemeasuring portion I4. Measurement of the length of the shoe S is carriedout by inserting the portion I4 into the shoe with the heel stop l5located against the inner face of the shoe heel. After this isaccomplished, the handle 23 may be manipulated to project the endportion 25 of the slide Il forwardly (dotted outline) into 3 the toe ofthe shoe S. The combined length of frame portion I4 and the projectedend portion 25 of the slide I1 indicates the interior length of the shoeS. Movement of the slide I1 to project slide end 25 the requireddistance, simultaneously moves the slide end 22 and associated guide 2Aaway from the heel stop II a like distance, thereby giving visualindication of a length.

which is equal to the determined length of the shoe.

In Fig. 2 the present device is shown in its position for comparingvisually the. length oi.' the foot F with the distance marked out on theframe portion I2 between the heel stop II and the adjusted position ofthe slide end portion 22, this adjusted position being determined inaccordance with the manipulation of the device described in connectionwith Fig. l. For example, if a determined shoe length A is indicated atthe right in Fig. 2, this same length will also be indicated at A in theleft portion of Fig. 2. The foot' F' may now be placed on the linearportion I2 of frame Ill to visually compare its length withthe shoe S.The distance B equals the recommended growth' space or clearance for ashoe properly-toA iit the'foot F; If the distance B is too great orinsufcient, as determined by direct observation of the present device, adifferent shoe size is at once indicated.

Referring to Fig. 3, the present device may be provided-with indiciaalong the upper face of the foot receiving-'portion I2 so that the slideIl durn ing its adjusting movement on the frame will serve toA uncoverthe indicia and thereby make it easyV to readl directly a shoe sizewhich has a length'- proper for a given foot length. This not onlyavoids theuncertain fitting of a shoe by its feeL but avoids the usualrequirement that the foot be inserted inthe shoe during shoe selectionand' iitting. The present device is especially useful for iitting shoesmade on different lastsI or for fittingshoes formed on the same lastwhere somev varia-tions are bound to occur. Normally shoes havingsimilar size markings, but formed on different makes of lasts, differ inactual internal length so that some shoeseel longer or shorter thanother shoes of asimilar size. The present device readily indicates thelast variationsandpermits theselectionk of a shoe of proper lengthregardlessoi the make of last used in its manufacture.

The'present device has the further advantage that it canheused for anymake of shoe, whereas theuse of test shoesrmade with windows o-rtransparent toe portions fails to account for. variations internallength or` shoes made on the same` lasts.

What we claim is:

1. A device for comparing shoe length with foot length comprising aframe, two heel stops including.v a shoe heel stop and a foot; heelstop: on

said frame, and an elongated length determining slide on saidv framehaving the opposite ends thereof movable relatively toward and away fromsaid heel stops, one of said slide ends and said shoe heel stopdetermining the shoe length and the other slide end and said foot heelstop establishing a similar length along said frame for directcomparison withthe foot length.

2. A device for comparing shoe length with foot length comprising aframe formed from flat strip material and having a foot receivingportion, a curvedA portion and a shoe length determining portion, twoheel stops, one for each of said foot and. shoe portions of said frame,guides located along said curved frame portion, and. a exible slidemovable through said guides over said curved frame portion, one endportion of said'` slide` cooperating with said shoe length determiningportion of said frame by moving toward or away from said shoe heel stoptherefor and the opposite end of said slide cooperating with the footreceiving portion of said frame by moving toward or away from said foot'heel stop therefor and establishing asimilar length for comparison withthe foot length.

3. A device i'or visually comparing shoe length with foot lengthcomprising a frame formed of ilat strip material having straight footreceiving and shoe length measuring portions arranged" in right' angularrelation, two. heel stops on said frame, one for each of said footreceiving andl shoe length measuring. portions of' said frame; and ameasuring slide carried by said f'ram'e' and'Y movablyv arranged tocooperate with said foot receiving and shoe length measuring frame por'-tions to determine shoe length for' comparison directly with foot'length, said slide having one' end. cooperating with said foot heel stopfor said' foot receivingv frame portion and the opposite end cooperatingwith said'shoe heel stop Vfor saidshoe length measuring portion toestablish the shoe length measurement: on said foot' receiving frameportion, said' foot receiving frame portion having. indicia thereon inposition toy be revealed'A upon movement of said" slide into a shoe tobe measured to indicate shoe length.

JOHNk N. CRANDALL. GLENN Az RICHARDET.

References Cited;- inv the r'ileY of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS nNumber Name Date 2,326,820 Bliss Feb. 20,1942 2,480,725 Gilbert Aug.3.0; 19.49.^` 2,601,131l WelderA June.` 17, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTSv`Number Country Date.

6513581v Germany Oct. 151937

